10 Most Important Star Wars Stories You Won’t See in the Films

Be it comic book, novel, or television, here are the most important Star Wars stories that inform and change our perspectives on the Star Wars films.

It was recently announced that Marvel would be producing a new comic focusing on Poe Dameron, the “best pilot in the galaxy” at the time of The Force Awakens. The series will be ongoing and will tell us the story leading up to Poe’s meeting with Lor San Tekka in the opening scene of the new movie. Like many of the other stories in the Star Wars canon, this one will likely change how we see certain characters or events in The Force Awakens. So to give you a taste for other stories like this, we’ve assembled the most important Star Wars stories that change our paradigms about the films.

Remember, these are not pieces of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe that were labelled non-canon in 2014. These are canon stories that have come since that event. They are of equal canonical status with the films.

Note: This list is in chronological order, so don’t be upset if your favorite story isn’t number 1.

10. Anakin Had an Apprentice

Though this news came long before Lucasfilm wiped the expanded universe clean, it remains one of the most unexpected moments in Star Wars history, outside of the films. In the 2008 film The Clone Wars, we learn that Anakin had an apprentice during the time between Episodes II and III of the Star Wars saga. Her name was Ahsoka.

Ahsoka became a fan favorite as she grew in maturity and strength. She took on bounty hunters, pirates, and even dark side Force wielders. As her relationship with Anakin continued, she began to take on similar traits from the future Sith Lord, including his rebellious spirit. Eventually she would leave the Jedi Order, escaping Order 66.

Not much is known about what happened to Ahsoka following the Jedi Purge. But we know she survived, assists the growing Rebellion against the Empire, and we are bracing ourselves for the inevitable showdown between Ahsoka and her former master in the ongoing animated show: Star Wars Rebels.

9. Darth Maul Was Resurrected

In Season 4 of The Clone Wars, the creators brought Darth Maul back from what we thought was certain death. Yes, Darth Maul is back, not as a clone, or a fraud, but the same Sith Lord who fell down a pit in two pieces.

Maul’s inclusion in the series eventually led to a confrontation with Darth Sidious. Palpatine put Maul in his place, and Maul was imprisoned.

Since the show ended, we learned that Maul escaped prison and remains in exile. As of right now, we don’t know his fate. Perhaps we’ll see him again.

8. What Happened to the Jedi Temple

Upon reading the novel Tarkin by James Luceno, many fans picked up on a strange detail concerning the Jedi Temple. Apparently, the Jedi built the Temple over an ancient Sith shrine, either in arrogance at a Jedi victory or as containment. Following the formation of the Empire and the slaughter of the Jedi at the Temple, Emperor Palpatine took up residence in the Temple, turning it into his personal palace. He visited the shrine with regularity.

While not much is known about the shrine, we do know the dark power it contained never fully abated. By the time of the prequel trilogy, Darth Sidious used the dark energy stored there to cloud the minds of the Jedi and lessen their power.

We don’t know much yet, but it’s clear that Lucasfilm probably has future plans for this Sith shrine. Perhaps we’ll learn how it came to be there, or why the Jedi eventually decided to build their headquarters over it.